Inside the biggest stars who began their careers on soap operas including Brad Pitt, Alec Baldwin, Lindsay Lohan & more

BRAD Pitt, Alec Baldwin, Lindsay Lohan, and Leonardo DiCaprio are just some of the notables names that got their start on soap operas.

Guiding Light and General Hospital are two of many well known shows that served as a launching pad for some famous stars.

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Here are some of the biggest names to have graced us with their dramatic acting abilities on the small screen.

BRAD PITT

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Before he became one of the biggest stars in the world- a title he continues to hold- Brad appeared on Another World in 1987 for two episodes where he played a character named Chris.

It was the now A-lister’s first speaking role, and he has gone on to have plenty more in his plus 30 year career.

ALEC BALDWIN

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Alec is known for many film roles including Beetlejuice, The Hunt for Red October, The Departed, and others. However, his first role on the small screen saw him play Billy Aldrich on The Doctors from 1980 to 1982.

“Soaps are the best. They really are. If you can do a soap, well, you can do anything…” Alec, now 63, once told Interview, proving that he clearly does not regret his time on daytime television.

LINDSAY LOHAN

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Just like Brad was on Another World, so was Lindsay, however her appearance would occur a decade later.

Lindsay played Alli Fowler on the show from 1996 to 1997, but the young actress had already been a fashion model since the age of three.

She of course would go on to appear in many memorable films including The Parent Trap, Mean Girls, and Freaky Friday, and will star on two new Netflix films in an effort to kick her acting career back up.

JOHN STAMOS

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Casual fans know John Stamos as Uncle Jesse from the iconic sitcom Full House, but true fanatics of the actor will also know he appeared on General Hospital from 1982 to 1984.

John played a character named Blackie Parrish during his run on the series and even reeled in a Daytime Emmy nomination for his performance.

John’s Full House costar Bob Saget passed away on January 9, 2022, as he said he would “never ever have another friend” like Bob.

HAYDEN PANETTIERE

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There are not many four year olds who can boasts they acted on the small screen at such a young age, but Hayden Panettiere certainly can.

Hayden played Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live and would remain on the series for three years before taking on another soap opera role on Guiding Light.

The now 32-year-old returned to her dramatic roots in 2012 in the popular series Nashville.

DEMI MOORE

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While she is known for many of her film roles including sculpting wet clay with Patrick Swayze in Ghost, Demi Moore actually got her career started on the small screen.

Demi played Jackie Templeton on General Hospital from 1982 to 1984, the same time John was on the cat.

JUSTIN HARTLEY

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When you think of Justin Hartley you think of his big-time role as Kevin Pearson on This Is Us, but this was definitely not his first role.

Justin played Fox Crane on Passions from 2002 to 2006 and then found himself on the iconic soap opera The Young and the Restless all before hitting it big on the hugely successful NBC series.

EVA LONGORIA

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Eva Longoria first appeared on General Hospital in 2000 before landing a role on The Young and the Restless as Isabella Brana.

However, her hard work paid off as in 2004 she found herself in a much bigger role as Gabrielle Solis on ABC’s ratings hit Desperate Housewives.

Eva, now 47, would also make her move to the big screen with various films including Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

LORI LOUGHLIN

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Despite being best known for playing Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on Full House and Netflix’s Fuller House, Lori Loughlin played Jody Travis on The Edge of Night from 1980-1984.

However, her career has taken a hit due to her shocking college admissions scandal where she pleaded guilty and agreed to serve two months in prison, perform 100 hours of community service, and pay a $150,000 fine.

Lori, 57, and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO

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Just like Brad, Leonardo is also one of the biggest names in the world, and he’s had the acting bug since he was quite young.

Leonardo made a brief cameo in the soap opera Santa Barbara in a flashback back in 1990, before he would appear in high profile sitcoms like Growing Pains and Roseanne.

The star’s career has gone pretty well since then to say the least as he has appeared in box office hits like Titanic, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, and won an Academy Award for his performance in The Revenant.

He most recently appeared in Netflix’s star-studded film Don’t Look Up.

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